The Beginning After The End (Web Novel) - Chapter 16: Next Step

Perla had always felt a longing for adventure, stifled by the rules of her strict upbringing and surrounded by her older brothers free to do as they wanted. She longed to carve her own path, to seek out excitement and perhaps even a little romance along the way. One day, while escaping yet another tedious piano class, she stumbled into the hollow of a massive tree. At its base, a mesmerizing green light beckoned her, and before she knew it, she was transported to a bizarre forest teeming with colossal, long-extinct creatures and menacing carnivorous plants.This was the realm of Beastkin, where men could transform into mighty beasts. Here, the constant threat of war had led to a peculiar imbalance, with most females giving birth to male Beastkin, resulting in a dire shortage of women. The land was a battleground, filled with mercenaries and adventurers seeking glory. While the males formed companies to embark on quests, their females stayed behind, living a life of comfort. But not Perla—she was determined to break free from the mold, to grow stronger, and to join her new love interests on exhilarating escapades.

Mythical Abode Mountain, Cloud’s End Cliff, the most dangerous of Azure Cloud Continent’s four deadly areas. Cloud’s End Cliff’s base is known as the Grim Reaper’s Cemetery.

The year was 2026, and the world wasn't what it used to be. Ever since the Abyss Gates cracked open three years ago, spilling monsters and dungeons across the planet, life had turned into a chaotic mess. Cities were half-ruined, half-rebuilt, and people clung to whatever normalcy they could find. Hunters—those brave or crazy enough to fight the monsters—became the new heroes. Everyone else? Well, they just tried to survive.Fin wasn't a Hunter. He wasn't a hero either.He was just… Fin. A lanky 19-year-old with messy brown hair, a chipped front tooth from a dumb skateboard accident, and a power that everyone called useless. Absorption. Sounds cool, right? Like he could suck up energy or steal someone's strength. Nope. All it did was let him “feel” things he touched a little more than normal. He could tell you the exact texture of a brick wall or how warm a coffee mug was—big whoop. No fireballs, no super strength, no flashy moves. Just a glorified touchy-feely trick.“Fin, you gonna eat that sandwich or just stare at it like it's gonna confess its life story?” Meg's voice snapped him out of his thoughts.He blinked and looked across the rickety table at his best friend. Meg was short, loud, and had a wild mop of dyed purple hair that she swore made her look “intimidating.” It didn't.

An inexplicable danger lurks within the harbor, where numerous containers emit a pungent stench. Suddenly, crew members fell ill and began to wildly attack other people. The text that appeared out of thin air told her that this was a survival game.

Fu Anan thought that it was just a dream, and that she wouldn’t be affected by it once she woke up.

It wasn’t until the game told her: She would die if she didn’t follow the rules of the game. She would also die if she didn’t survive for at least thirty days in the game…

Unknown danger on the cruise ship; An isolated island that suffocates people; creatures inside the fog; Floods that engulf everything; Epidemic with no cure; Constantly collapsing lands……

How should one survive in various natural and man-made disasters, and in environments where resources are scarce?

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